One is a slick smooth-skating defender while the other is a tough-as-nails, banging take-no-prisoners offensive grinder.
The two brothers play the game of hockey differently, yes, but Joe and Pete Vandermeer have the same heartfelt passion.
They come from a family of six brothers who all made it to the professional ranks. None were superstars who lit it up at the Big Show, the NHL, but all had respectable careers in the minor professional leagues.
Hailing from Caroline, the Vandermeer boys are all considered legends of the game in Central Alberta -- renowned in this area as the famed Sutter clan from the Viking region that also produced six professional hockey boys.
And what may seem to be providential or at least coincidental is that Joe and Peter Vandermeer are today playing together for the Innisfail Eagles under the leadership of Brian Sutter, the second oldest of the famous Viking family.
Pete is now 38. He hung up his professional hockey career in 2011 after 15 years playing with teams in three different minor professional leagues. He had a cup of coffee for two games with the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes during the 2007-08 season.
No matter what league he was in Pete was renowned as a tough customer. In his professional hockey career he compiled 4,197 total minutes in penalties ñ the third highest in professional hockey history ñ 25 minutes more than the NHL's all-time leader Dave ìTigerî Williams.
ìI'm a guy who is going to get in there and make the first hit and finish all the checks, work hard and not let anybody get away with anything,î said Pete of his style of play. ìAnd a guy who goes to the net hard and who tries to lead by example and not backing down from anything. That is the way I have been for a long time. I can't change that.î
After retiring from the professional ranks he moved to Sylvan Lake and played one year for the Bentley Generals. He then took a year off and is now back in the game in Innisfail and reunited with Joe, who he played with in Bentley and during the 1999-2000 season with the East Coast Hockey League's Richmond Renegades.
ìWe want to play as long as we can. It's hard to hang up the skates. We have both had long professional careers but we are both here at home and have real jobs as well,î said Pete. ìBut there is nothing that replaces being able to compete and being in that physical battle to try and win and help your team do better than other teams. It is something that burns in us. It has been burning for a long time.î
Joe is one year younger than Pete. For eight seasons he was arguably the most valuable player for the two-time Allan Cup champion Bentley Generals. He is the seventh in the Chinook Hockey League's all time scoring list with 21 goals and 107 assists. As of last week the slick defenceman was the Eagles' top point getter with four goals and eight assists.
He came to the Eagles this year following the Generals' Allan Cup win last season. He is fiercely loyal to Brian Sutter, who coached Bentley for four seasons before coming to Innisfail last season.
ìOur families have a lot of background together. We are pretty tight and I have all the respect in the world for Brian and I decided to come over here and build a winning team here as well in Innisfail,î said Joe.
Sutter has said repeatedly this year the goal for the Eagles is to win the league and go on to the Allan Cup. He also said the journey is a process, one that will require putting all the pieces together. The Vandermeer brothers said they both understand this approach, and that Sutter's ultimate goal will be achieved.
ìIt was unbelievable the way they won the AA provincial championship last year,î said Joe of the quick progress the Innisfail organization has made since Sutter arrived. ìIt was a step in the right direction to where we want to be this year. With myself and a few other guys coming over there is still a few more pieces of the puzzle to put together to get where we want to be at the end of the year, but we are definitely making the right steps forward to get there.î
But then again there is Bentley. The championship team that Sutter built is once again tearing up the league. The Eagles have played the Generals four times this year, winning one but losing three, including a heartbreaking 3-2 loss on Jan. 5 when Sutter's team led 2-0 in the third but ultimately fell 3-2.
ìTen minutes to go we are up two nothing and for them to score three goals unanswered, that hurts. It stings but we know as a team we are building and getting that much closer to where we want to be at the end of the year,î said Joe.
But that game was just one moment in a season. There is still a long way to go. The Vandermeer boys remain committed to delivering Sutter's grand plan. Besides, they have been pros for a long time. They know what it takes to win, and that includes patience, passion and commitment.
ìThe game is still what drives us and gets us out of bed in the morning. You have got to practise. We've got some games coming up and you've got to be ready for them,î said Pete. ìIt is something we have done for so long it is part of you. You can't turn it off.î
